Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve recruitment in adult social care.

Whilst much of the responsibility for recruitment rests with adult social care employers, the Department recognises the scale of reforms needed to support sustainable workforce growth. These reforms include: the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, allowing funding for certain training courses and qualifications; the continuing development of the Care Workforce Pathway, a universal career structure for the workforce setting out the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors needed to work in adult social care; and the launch of a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.

On 10 of October 2024, recognising the central role of our amazing care workforce, we took a critical step, introducing the legislation that will establish the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals. Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker and employer representatives to negotiate fair pay, terms, and conditions in a regulated and responsible manner. This will help to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector, in turn supporting the delivery of high-quality care.